Snow in August (5 page)

Hongren:

(
Goes up the pulpit
.)

All disciples and followers, let your hearts be at peace.

(
All clasp their hands and lower their heads
.)

Hongren:

I don’t have much to say to you. I’ve said all I wanted to say already in past lectures. At any rate, all that which can be spoken is not the real meaning of the Dharma. It is something you have to comprehend for yourself. Day and night you people are busy worshipping and paying homage to Buddha, trying only to cultivate the field of merits, but you never ask yourself the big question of life and death. If you can’t extract yourself from the bitter sea of life and death, what is it that you aspire to? If you have lost your self-nature, what is the use of the field of merits? Do you think you will be able to save yourself from suffering in this way?

What are you staring at? There is no use staring at me. Go and stare at yourselves! Return to your rooms. If you possess wisdom, you should let yourself be enlightened of your own prajna, your innate wisdom.

(
The crowd look at one another, not knowing what to do
.)

Hongren:

Have you not come to my temple to seek Buddha? Now go and compose a gatha poem and show it to me. If any one of you can prove that he has understood the truth of Buddha in his gatha, then I will pass on the Dharma to him, and he will inherit the robe and the almsbowl, which have been handed down for five generations since the Bodhidharma, and become the Sixth Patriarch.

[
Exit Hongren. Crowd scurry around in confusion, not knowing what to do
.

Shenxiu, bewildered, stands on one side, his head lowered
.

Crowd:

Look, come and take a look!

What the hell are you looking at? You’re stepping on my shoes!

Instructor Shenxiu, he must have got it already.

They didn’t make him the principal instructor for nothing. Don’t waste your time.

Don’t worry, after Instructor Shenxiu receives the Dharma, we’ll just follow him and chant our sutra. We’ll be all right.

(
Huiming, martial arts instructor, walks through the hall, strutting and swaggering
.)

Crowd:

Instructor Huiming!

Have you got it?

(
Huiming ignores them. Exit
.)

Crowd:

You think he’s got it already?

Him? If you asked him to fight, he wouldn’t have a problem for sure. But writing? That’s a different story!(
Exit Crowd
.)

Shenxiu:

(
Paces back and forth, rubs his palms continuously, and talks to himself
.)

The Patriarch has a thousand disciples, but no one dares to write this
gatha
.

As principal instructor, I’ll have to write it even if nobody will. I’m the only one to do it.

If I were to plot, if I were to take over the Patriarchate for myself.…Even the thought of it is not right. I can’t possibly force myself to do that, not under any circumstances.

(
Ruminates
.)

If I don’t present this gatha to the Patriarch, then he won’t be able to know how deeply I have understood the sutra, and I won’t be able to become the true successor and inherit the Dharma. What am I to do? What am I to do! (
Exit.
)

[
Silence. The stage turns dark. The nightwatchman’s drum starts thumping
.

Enter Shenxiu holding a candle. He is very watchful and looks here and there
.

Shenxiu:

The watchman has struck for the second watch. All the rooms are silent. When I first became a monk, I only wanted to serve the Patriarch and to purify my mind, so that it would be free from doubt. I have never been ambitious; I have never thought about succeeding the Patriarch. Now the old master wants to pass on the robe and the almsbowl, but his intention is unclear. What is to be done?

(
Listens to the drum
.)

Luckily no one knows what I’m doing here!

(
He takes out a brush from inside his sleeve, removes the cap and writes in a frenzy on the wall, reciting
.)

The body is a Bodhi tree,

The mind a mirror bright,

Always wipe it clean,

And let no dust alight. (
Exit
.)

[
The bells ring for the morning chanting session. One by one the monks hurry across the stage, which gradually lights up
.

Enter Lu Zhen the painter carrying an ink slab and a brush. He swaggers forward, swaying left and right as he walks. Percussion music
.

Lu:

I’m Wonder Brush Lu Zhen!

As a painter, I have painted everything under the sun, all of them in beautiful colors and vivid detail. From the gods in Heaven to the ghosts and demons in hell, and from the Queen Mother of the West to Cow Head and Horse Face, the guards at the entrance to Hades, not to mention kings, generals and ministers, boudoirs and studies, and even the secrets of inner chambers. There is but one picture I still haven’t painted, the portrait of Master Bodhidharma from Western Heaven. I don’t know if he had long ears drooping down to his shoulders, or if he had horns growing on his forehead. Lucky for me no one has seen him in person either.

(
Suddenly looks up
.)

What’s going on here? Yesterday this was a nice, clean white wall, but some scoundrel has scribbled graffiti on it. How impudent and disrespectful! This is no ordinary drafting paper. It’s to be the sacred spot, a place of worship, after a portrait of Bodhidharma has been painted on it. Now it’s been defiled and totally ruined! Outrageous indeed!…Anybody here?

(
Enter a Novice Monk hurriedly
.)

Novice:

Master Lu, what’s happened to you? Have you hurt your foot or something?

Lu:

Your master has not hurt his foot, thank you very much. Take a look at this wall! Who did this? Do you recognize the writing? The impudent rascal!

Novice:

I haven’t got a clue. The words are all messed up.

(
Enter an Old Monk. He takes a look at the wall
.)

Old Monk:

Amitabha! Go and tell the Patriarch at once!

[
Exit Novice running. Enter Crowd. They gather in front of the wall trying to identify the handwriting
.

Enter Hongren.

Hongren:

(
Ponders for a moment
.)

All physical forms, all phenomena and images are but illusions. Master Lu, you don’t have to paint the portrait any more. Since you have traveled a long way to come here, please accept my gift of three silver ingots for your troubles. Leave the
gatha
on the wall. All of you may study it and cultivate your virtues accordingly. In this way you will not fall and suffer from the evil realms of existence. Well done! Well done!

[
Crowd reads and recites the gatha. Lu thanks Hongren and exits
.

Enter Shenxiu. He stands motionlessly, his head lowered. Upon seeing him, Crowd clasp their hands in greeting then exit
.

Hongren:

Did you write this gatha?

Shenxiu:

(
Steps forward and bows
.)

Please forgive the mistake your disciple has committed. I know that it is improper of me to seek the patriarchate. My only hope is for Your Holiness to bestow on me great mercy and pity, and to judge how much wisdom there is in me, and whether I have acquired a general under-standing of the
Dharma
.

Hongren:

You haven’t entered the room. You have just reached the door.

Shenxiu:

Your humble disciple lacks intelligence. He awaits the master’s elucidation.

Hongren:

At ease. If you want to obtain the ultimate enlightenment, you have to look for it in your self-nature

Shenxiu:

How does one look for self-nature? Your humble disciple does not understand.

Hongren:

Strive to purify your mind, then write another gatha and let me see it! If you show that you are capable of entering the room through the door, then I will pass the robe and the
Dharma
truth onto you. (Exit.)

[
Shenxiu watches the back of Hongren as he exits. Exit Shenxiu
.

Sound of pounding rice. At the back of the stage, Huineng is treading on the wooden lever of the rice-pounding machine, his feet going up and down. A big stone is tied to his waist
.

Enter Novice Monk
.

Novice:

(
Recites as if singing
.)

The body is a Bodhi tree,

The mind a mirror bright…

Huineng:

(
Stops treading
.)

Novice, what are you singing?

Novice:

The Patriarch told us to sing the
gatha
Instructor Shenxiu had written on the wall in the great hall. He also told us to study it. (
Exit
.)

[
Faint chanting is heard off stage. Lento: “Always wipe it clean, And let no dust alight
…”

Huineng unties the stone on his waist and looks for where the chanting is coming from. Exit
.

Chanting stops
.

Sound of wooden fish. Allegretto. Enter Lu Zhen carrying his painting supplies. He is walking hurriedly
.

Enter Huineng from the other side
.)

Huineng:

Mr. Painter…

Lu:

(
Surprised
.) Oh!

Huineng:

What kind of sutra is written on this wall?

Lu:

The characters are like black earthworms. They’re just a scrawl, totally devoid of energy or discipline. Nothing worth mentioning!

Huineng:

May I trouble Mr. Painter to write a few words for this unworthy servant?

Lu:

Do you prefer vermilion or emerald?

Huineng:

The wall is white, so I guess black will do. As long as people can read the words clearly.

Lu:

There are five shades of black, which can also be dark or light, or glossy or matte.

Huineng:

Please do as you see fit.

Lu:

Do you want me to write in seal script, official script, running script, cursive script, or regular script?

Huineng:

Anything is fine as long as the words are neat and tidy.

Lu:

Then speak slowly. Master Painter Lu Zhen at your service. (
Tucks in his sleeve and takes out his ink and brush
.)

Huineng:

The
Bodhi
is not a tree,

Nor the mind a mirror bright;

Buddha nature is always pure,

Where can any dust alight?

Lu:

(
Wields his brush and writes quickly
.)

There, there, now it’s done.

(
Exit Huineng quietly
.)

Lu:

(
Looks left and right in admiration
.)

What insight! Excellent! What a wonderful
gatha
!

[
Lu turns and finds Huineng gone, puts away his painting supplies into a knapsack, which he carries on his back, and exits
.

Sound of rice pounding. The stage turns dark. Huineng is seen treading on the lever of the rice-pounding machine. The wind starts to blow
.

Enter Hongren carrying a lantern, hobbling along. He raises the lantern to read the writing on the wall, and then he blows out the light
.

The wind blows hard. Huineng stops working and unties the stone at his waist
.

Huiming:

(
Looks into the dark
.) Who is it?

Hongren:

It’s me, your Patriarch.

Huineng:

Has the master not retired yet?

Hongren:

There’s something on my mind that I can’t let go.

Huineng:

Can it ever be let go?

Hongren:

(
Hits mortar thrice with the lantern rod
.)

The rice, have you finished pounding it yet?

(
Huineng fills a bamboo dipper with rice, raises the dipper and pours the rice out into a bamboo basket, which makes a sizzling sound
.)

Hongren:

(
Arches his back to whisper into Huineng’s ear
.)

Come to my chamber. I’ll elucidate the Dharma to you.

(
Exits into the dark
.)

[
Huineng straightens himself and listens. The wind howls then stops, and then all becomes quiet
.

On one side of the stage, Huiming, his eyes lowered, is seen standing on a stump in front of the drum stand. He is standing on one leg and his hand is holding an incense stick that has almost burnt out. He dozes off, his body sways and he tips and falls from the stump. It is a sudden awakening. He picks up a drumstick by the stand and beats the drum thrice
.

Huineng:

Huiming, Huiming, you have failed to live up to your fame.

(
Shakes his head continuously
.)

You’re tall and handsome, and you’re a general of the third rank. But all is in vain.

You really wanted to understand the
Dharma
, so you came running here to study with the old Patriarch. You study every day and night, and you’ve been cultivating your virtues year after year, but you still lose out in the end. (
Exit
.)